Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Those with the lowest vitamin D levels in the blood had 64% increased risk of heart attack.
The current intake recommendations for vitamin D range from 400 IU per day in infants to 800 IU per day in the elderly (1). Now a new study (2) suggests that vitamin D blood levels may play a role in both heart health and overall health.
Researchers analyzed vitamin D blood levels in 10,170 patients between the ages of 49 and 67 participating in the Copenhagen City Heart Study which started in 1976-1978 and consisted of follow-up examinations in 1981-1983, 1991-1994, and 2001-2003 (3). The Copenhagen City Heart study was modeled after the Framingham Heart Study, only residents of the city of Copenhagen were selected and were done so at random by the researchers. Each participant completed a dietary questionnaire, underwent a physical examination and provided blood samples at each appointment. The patients were followed up until May 2011, until the occurrence of heart disease, heart attack, or death, whichever came first.
With an average follow-up of 21 years and a maximum follow-up of 29 years, there were 3,100 cases of ischemic heart disease, 1,625 heart attacks, and 6,747 deaths. Researchers saw a direct positive effect of vitamin D blood levels on both heart and overall health, with patients with vitamin D blood levels in the 1st to 4th percentiles (8-12 nanomoles/Liter) had a 40% increased risk of heart disease (p < 0.001), 64% increased risk for heart attack (p < 0.001), 57% increased risk of early death (p < 0.001), and 81% increased risk of having a fatal heart attack (p < 0.001) compared to patients in the 50th to 100th percentile (47-71 nmol/L).
The mechanisms by which vitamin D promotes these healthful effects is admittedly not fully understood (4). Possibilities include vitamin D levels limiting activity of a protein called renin which can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease as well as vitamin D’s ability to help maintain healthy levels of inflammation, blood vessel reactivity and blood clotting (5). For the researchers, “In the highest powered general population study ever, we observed stepwise increases in risk of ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and early death with stepwise decreasing plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.”
Source: Brøndum-Jacobsen, Peter, et al. “25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels and risk of ischemic heart disease, myocardial infarction, and early death.” Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 32.11 (2012): 2794-2802.
© 2012 American Heart Association, Inc.
Posted October 24, 2012.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
References:
- “Vitamin D Fact Sheet” from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplement Website.
- Brondum-Jacobsen P. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Risk of Ischemic Heart Disease, Myocardial Infarction, and EarlyDeath: Population-Based Study and Meta-Analyses of 18 and 17 Studies. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2012; Aug 30. [Epub ahead of print]
- “Copenhagen Heart Study” on the HRP Initiative Website.
- Michael YL, Smit E, Seguin R, Curb JD, Phillips LS, Manson JE. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and physical performance in postmenopausal women. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2011;20:1603–1608.
- Zittermann A, Schleithoff SS, Koerfer R. Putting cardiovascu¬lar disease and vitamin D insufficiency into perspective. Br J Nutr. 2005;94:483–492.
